Life and the Choices We Make
by Carpe diem 89
Summary: This is a slash story about Draco and Harry. Don't like don't read. Flames are always welcome. Draco goes through troubled times, hoping that one day he will get what he wants.
1. Prolouge

Life and the Choices we Make

Prolouge:

He walked by the lake, eyes clouded, not knowing where he was headed, not unlike his life. He never knew what exactly was in store for him and at the moment he knew only one thing. Wherever he was headed, it was not good. This, _this_ could only end up badly.

You see this young man had a problem: he was getting married. However, he wanted nothing to do with the woman he was to marry. He was in love with someone else. If anyone ever found out, he would be rather worse for wear, to put it mildly. His father was counting on this marriage to be a success. It was the 'perfect' pureblood union: Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson.

Draco stared out across the lake, foreboding rising in him like the rising sun. He was going to be expected at the altar in 5 hours: 12 am exactly.

"Young Master! Young Master!" A squeaky voice called out to him. No sooner had he turned around, a rather energetic house elf, whose name he thought to be Rinky, rammed into him. "Oh sorry master! Binky is bad sir! Binky will burn his hands on the stove sir! But, Master want to see Young Master right away sir! In his office sir!" The house elf then scurried off back to the manor.

Draco remembered the last time his father called him into his office. It hadn't turned out well. It was 6 months ago, Draco's 18th birthday. He was home because You Know Who had finally been defeated by that damnable Potter and school was let out early. His father was released from Azkaban after he claimed to have been under Imperius. All that was on Draco's mind at the time, however, was his secret crush and how his father would react if he ever found out about said person. He was surely to be disowned. He really did not care about what his father was about to tell him.

He walked into his father's office and asked what he wanted. His father started taking immediately in that cold hard voice of his. "As you know Draco, you have finished school and are a licensed wizard and now I see fit that you marry."

"What?"

A loud resounding crack was heard throughout the room as Lucius hit his desk with his cane. "How dare you show such insolence! You _will_ be married in six months time to Miss Pansy Parkinson. I will hear no complaints against this and if you as so much do a single thing that will ruin this union, I will disown you no questions asked! You are dismissed."

Draco was brought back into the present as he knocked on his father's office door.

"Father. You called for me?"

"Yes. I have moved the wedding up from noon to eight. I feel the sooner the better. That is all. You are dismissed."

Draco walked numbly out of his father's office. He was pissed. Why did his father feel that he had absolute control over him? It was his life. He should be able to live it as he felt fit. Draco decided that he mine as well get ready. He only had less than an hour until his life would be ruined forever.

"Draco!"

Draco jolted awake.

"Draco get up! You're supposed to be at the altar. Pansy is going to be walking down the aisle any minute now!"

"I'm coming mother, I'm coming." Narcissa left the room. "Ahhhhh!" Draco let out a frustrated scream as he left the room.

Draco stood fidgeting by the altar as Pansy walked down the aisle. She smiled an awful smile which made Draco visibly grimaced.

Draco didn't hear a word the priest said as he stared at Pansy. He looked at her awful yellow teeth and the way her face looked like that of a pug. He looked at her bleached blonde hair and thought about how much more awful she looked when she smiled. Draco was brought out of his thoughts by the priest's voice.

". . . until death do you part?"

Everyone looked expectantly at Draco.

"No. No! I will not marry this woman for more than one reason," Draco stated calmly. "I never wanted to marry this hideous woman. My father arranged this whole thing. I have always thought that Pansy was a rude, obnoxious, ugly little bitch. She is vindictive and cruel and if I ever see her again it will be too soon. Quite frankly, she repulses me." Pansy looked at Draco with unadulterated hate in her eyes. She slapped Draco as hard as she could muster and stormed out.

"I am in love with someone else." He looked out towards the audience. His mother was crying and his father's face was so red with anger he thought his head was about to explode. Draco thought that he had better finish off his speech and get the hell out of there. "Not to mention, I'm gay!" Draco shouted this last part at the top of his lungs. The whole church was stunned into a shocked silence. Draco left the church and apparated home. He gathered all his belongings and shrunk them to fit in his pocket. He was about to apparate away when his father barged into his bedroom.

"How dare you? How dare you make such a spectacle of your mother and me! From this moment on, you are no longer a son of mine!"

Draco just looked at his father with indifference in his eyes. He then apparated out of the manor for the very last time, dimly aware of his father's shouts.

"I never want to see your face again!"


	2. Home

Life and the Choices We Make

Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

Chapter One: Home

Draco sat in his stuffy apartment reading the paper and drinking his morning coffee. He was not feeling particularly well this morning. That may have been due to the fact that it had been five years to the day that Draco had left the wizarding world for good. He had decided to live as a muggle in the non-wizarding world. They were more accepting of people of the homosexual orientation.

Draco looked around his apartment. It wasn't much, only four rooms. There was his bedroom, his roommate's bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen/living room. However, the reason Draco had chosen this apartment aside from the low price was its view. It had a wonderful view of the Statue of Liberty, which was the first thing he saw when he arrived in New York.

America. He never thought that he could feel so at home in a world completely different from the one he was brought up in. That was what New York was for him: his home.

Draco looked at the time; it was 5:00 a.m. 'Well I guess I better leave, time for work.' Draco loved his job and the people he worked with. He worked at a little café/dinner by the Empire State building and they got a lot of costumers going to and from work.

* * *

"Hiya Draco!" Draco's manager and best friend greeted Draco when he arrived at 'The Little Café and Dinner Extraordinaire'

"Hey Brett, how's it going?"

"I'm doing all right; I finally broke up with Jennifer last night. It is sort of depressing even though I was the one that ended it. You should have seen the scene she made. She was in hysterics; she couldn't believe that I was breaking up with her."

"What did you tell her?" Draco asked.

"I told her the truth. I told her she was a 'self-absorbed stuck up control freak bitch,' in those exact words."

Draco started cracking up, laughing. "You didn't! Well she finally got what she deserved, I never liked her." Draco gave Brett one of his most angelic smiles.

Brett whacked Draco on the butt with a hand towel.

"Ow! My butt, oh my butt!"

"Oh come on you know you hated her and the only reason you put up with her for three months was that I liked her. I mean, you're part of the reason I broke up with her. She was absolutely horrid to you. If my girlfriend can't accept my friends, than I can't accept her."

"Oh face it, you broke up with her because she's a 'self-absorbed stuck up control freak bitch.'"

Brett fell into a chair with his hands over his heart. "Ouch that hurt. After all these years, I opened up my home to you. I gave you a place to stay for only 300 dollars a month. Ouch! The pain! The pain!"

"Oh, shut it, you. Which reminds me, you left home early this morning, and I had to make my own coffee. It was awful. It's too much effort. Sure the coffee tastes good, but to make it myself? …"

Draco was cut off by Brett, "Stop being such a drama queen. Clean some tables and be a good waiter. George and Emma should be ready soon."

"Yeah, well all they have to do is cook and you just stand behind a counter," Draco pouted. "I'm the only waiter here in the morning. I have to go back and forth, back and forth — " Draco stopped whining as he cleaned the tables.

George and Emma arrived right before six and set off to work. Within no time costumers started arriving and everyone was hustling and bustling.

* * *

It was finally 4 o'clock when the replacements for Draco and Brett came and they were able to leave work.

"Draco, me and the guys were going to go out for a drink later on today. Do you want to come?"

"You know I don't feel all that comfortable with your friends when they drink. They say stupid stuff and all they talk about is women and their body parts. I am not exactly an expert in that area."

Brett laughed. "Okay, I'll tell you the truth. Seth, you know Seth?"

"No, I don't." Draco said sarcastically.

"Anyway," Brett continued ignoring the snide comment. "His cousin's friend just moved from London and I figured since you were from there you could maybe help make him feel welcome."

"I'm sure that that's not the reason. You're a terrible liar so tell me the real reason you want me there."

"You're my best friend and you love me?" Brett gave him his most winning smile. Draco just glared at him.

"Fine! Fine!" Brett conceded. "He's gay. He's had it hard and I thought it would help if he met another gay person. He was treated like shit for a year after he came out and finally he decided to come here. I just thought that you could try and make him feel welcome, but if you don't want to be bothered, fine."

Brett was guilt tripping him and Draco knew it. "Fine I'll go."

"I knew you would do what was right." Brett said while giving him his famous shit-faced grin.

Draco gave him a playful whack as they entered their apartment building.

* * *

It was eight o'clock and the two friends were entering the bar. "Hey Brett, hey Draco! This is my cousin's friend—"

However, Draco didn't here a word he said. He was too busy looking at the man standing next to him. He just couldn't believe his eyes.


End file.
